Link sat up from the roof of Impa's hut and looked down at the celebration taking place in the village below. The villagers had strung up lanterns over the entire town and placed food stalls in the streets for the visitors to enjoy. There were also a number of campfires that people had gathered around as they socialized. He saw Yunobo, the new Goron champion, by one of the fires dancing to the music that filled the air. Link chuckled; he enjoyed seeing the timid Goron having such a good time. Teba was with his family perched on a rooftop watching the celebration from above just like Link. Teba caught his eye and waved his wing. Link gave a small nod in return. Neither of them, it seemed, were much for extravagance. He saw Lady Riju in the center of town dancing with Zelda. A crowd had formed around them, clapping and cheering them on. They were quite good; Link could hardly believe it wasn't rehearsed.

He continued his scan of the village, looking for someone in particular. Link knew that Zelda had invited him; he had made sure to ask. She assured the young knight that she had personally delivered the invitation. Link had spent the first few hours of the celebration wandering through the crowd and making small talk with anyone who approached him, mostly answering questions about his battle with Calamity Ganon. Link didn't care to re-live that day, but he regaled them with the story nonetheless. It seemed the simplest way to appease them. All the while he was hoping to spot him. After a while, Link gave up and climbed up to where he his now. He figured his best chance to spot him was from the hut, and even if he never showed, at least he could be alone up there.

It seemed like every moment since he beat Ganon, Link was surrounded by all sorts of people wanting to know every detail of the fight or thank him for saving Hyrule. And he was tired of it. He was tired of re-living that day. He was tired of people thanking him for something he did 100 years too late. They acted like he was some amazing hero when in reality he was just a boy chosen for an impossible task. His four best friends gave their lives over one hundred years ago, and here he was, being given all the credit for their victory. As Link sat there, wallowing in his own grief, he heard a splash come from the moat around Impa's. Link moved over to the edge of the roof and looked down at the water, only to find the very Zoran he was looking for all night.

"Hello there Master Link!," called Prince Sidon from below, "May I join you up there?"

"I thought I told you to just call me Link, Prince Sidon," Link responded. "Come on up!"

The Zora Prince dove underneath the water, then shot out of it at lighting speed and landed squarely on the roof. "And I thought I told you, to just call me Sidon."

Link laughed. He enjoyed the person he could be with Sidon. Link was usually quiet and reserved, preferring to let others do all the talking. With Sidon it was different. He always wanted to talk and for some reason, Link was happy to oblige. Maybe it was because he was always so happy and positive. Sidon was the first, and for a while, the only one that seemed to believe in Link. Even when he was completely down on himself, Sidon never failed to tell him how amazing he was. Link started to blush remembering all of the praises the prince has showered on him.

"What are you doing up here all alone?" Sidon's voice broke through Link's thoughts. "There's a party going on down there. All for you."

"It was a little much for me," Link answered. "Besides, it's not just for me. There's no way I could have beaten Ganon without the other champions." Thinking of the other champions made Link incredibly sad. He pulled his knees to his chest and laid his head on top of them.

Sidon took notice of the young knight's change in demeanor. "You know they would be happy for you. You really should stop torturing yourself over them. I know my sister especially would want you to be happy."

Link gave a little smile at the thought of Mipha. "I know," whispered the knight, "that's how she was."

Link thought back to the times he had spent with the Zora princess. His memories of her had definitely been the fondest he had…and the most painful to recover. That's another reason Link enjoyed Sidon's company. When he was with the prince it eased the pain. Being with Sidon felt a lot like the times Link spent with Mipha. They were both so kind and caring, always thinking of others before themselves. The only difference between the two was their demeanor. Where Mipha was timid and reserved, the prince was headstrong and always exuded confidence. Link remembered the first time he saw him after waking up, how he leaped down from the bridge to meet him, that smile…Link started to blush again.

Sidon noticed the rosy color spreading across the young Hylian's cheeks and wondered what could cause the boy to appear so flustered all of a sudden. "What are you thinking about Link?"

"Wha…uh," Link was startled by Sidon's question. He began to fidget; he could feel his face heating up as his eyes darted to the side while he debated whether or not to should tell the prince what was truly on his mind. With a sigh, he gave in, "Well…I was just thinking back to the day we met. After I woke up that is…"

"Oh." Sidon had not expected that answer. He's had many conversations with the young Hylian since they met at the bridge over a year ago. In fact, Link has become one of the prince's closest friends. And to think that it was himself that was causing the hero of Hyrule to become so flustered… well, it made Sidon blush too.

Link saw the blue hue coming to the Prince's cheek and recognized the Zora's version of a blush. Could he be thinking about me? The knight quickly brushed the thought aside. It was ridiculous to think that the prince of the Zoras could possibly see him like that. They were friends, very close friends for sure, but nothing more. How could they be? After all, the Zoras had enough trouble accepting him and Mipha…how could they possibly accept him and the prince? No; they were friends and that was that. Sidon was the best friend Link had. He was always supportive and would let the Link stay in the Domain whenever being out in the wilds alone got to be too much. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that.

The two sat alone in silence for a few more moments, both caught up in their thoughts before Sidon decided to speak. "So my dear friend, what do you plan to do now? Now that Calamity Ganon is destroyed, and Hyrule is back on its way to peace, what will you do?"

Link mulled it over for a while, then answered, "Well I suppose I'll keep traveling Hyrule. I know there's still plenty of monsters out there causing trouble and I'm probably one of the only ones left that can handle them."

Sidon was surprised by his answer. "I would have figured you would remain here with the princess to help her start reconstructing the castle."

"She asked, but I wouldn't be of any use," Link responded quietly. "All I'm good for is fighting. Putting a whole kingdom back together is beyond me.

"That's not true," asserted the Prince. "You are good for much more than fighting my friend. I have never known anyone, Hylian or Zora, that has as much spirit and courage as you. That is why I am happy to call you my dearest friend."

Link could feel his face heating up again. "Thank you…really," he spoke quietly as he looked up to see the prince smiling brightly down at him. Link's face went bright red and the knight quickly turned to face the town before speaking again, "But my mind's made up. I'd rather help where I'm needed than be stuck guarding the princess. Besides, Zelda can watch after herself; she doesn't need me anymore." Not that she ever did.

"It's decided then!" Sidon exclaimed as he popped up to his feet. Link looked up at him, puzzled at his sudden outburst. "We shall travel Hyrule together, slaying monsters and bringing peace to the land!" The prince looked down at the young knight and gave him a thumbs up with one of his signature smiles.

Link continued to stare at the Zora prince in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean you're coming with me? What about the Zoras and the Domain?"

"The Domain will be fine without me," Sidon responded enthusiastically. "Besides, there is much of the world I have yet to see, and I would love nothing more than to see it with you Link, my closest friend."

Link's face brightened. He stood up and smiled brightly at Sidon before speaking, "Alright then. How about we stay the night in the Domain and we can set off in the morning?"

"That sounds wonderful Link, but…there is no way we can reach the Domain tonight," the prince answered confused.

Link smirked, "Don't worry about that. My sheikah slate can transport me anywhere there's a shrine and lucky for us, there's one right in the middle of Zora's Domain."

Sidon was impressed by the boy's quick wit, "I always wondered how it was that you showed up seemingly out of nowhere. Will it take both of us though?"

The young knight considered the prince's question. He had never teleported with someone else, but there was nothing saying it couldn't work. "I'm sure it will, as long as we're touching," he answered as he reached out for the Prince's hand.

Sidon looked down as Link took his hand and blushed before meeting the boy's eyes. "I'm ready when you are," the prince said softly but confidently.

Link nodded, not caring that his face was probably as red as Sidon's scales. He was happy that the Prince had decided to accompany him. Even though he was prepared to travel alone, just like he had since he woke up, he was looking forward to traveling with Sidon. Link took out the sheikah slate and with his free hand tapped the shrine nestled in the middle of Zora's domain. He felt the tingle as his body started to glow and felt the upwards pull as he was being transported to the Shrine. Before he was completely dissolved, he looked to his side and was relieved to see that Sidon was being teleported too.

xxx

Zelda looked up at Impa's roof and watched as Link and Sidon were pulled up into the sky. "There he goes, off on some adventure without even saying goodbye," she whispered to herself.

Riju overheard the princess's musings as she walked up behind the girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "You should have realized he wouldn't stick around. He's been out on his own for so long, living only to defeat Ganon. He has to figure out what he wants to do now that his mission is complete."

Zelda looked at the young Gerudo chief, startled at her sudden intrusion. "I know," said the princess, "I just wish he would realize that he doesn't have to go through this alone. I want him to be happy again."

"But my lady, the boy isn't alone," said Riju, "Prince Sidon is with him. And if I do say so myself, Link has never seemed as happy as he is with the Prince. Or didn't you notice? He spent most of the night looking for him and when he couldn't find him he crawled up on that hut."

Zelda thought about what Lady Riju said and smirked, "Yes I suppose you're right. Alright, let's go back to the celebration." The princess took the chief's hand and skipped back into the crowd. She could always figure out where the boy had gone tomorrow. And besides, if anyone could bring the young knight happiness it was certainly Sidon. In the month since Ganon's defeat Link had spoken of the Zora Prince often and every time he did she noticed his face light up, just as it had over 100 years ago when he would speak of the last person he loved.